decamom

I am cold too...almost all the time. I am 6 months out. Hair loss seems to be slowing down. I go to bed hugging a heating pad. Sometimes I put it under the covers and then go brush my teeth to warm it up in there!. If hubby goes to bed before me, he will lay on my side to warm it up! Sweet man! I just wear cuddle duds long underwear every day and that helps. I also have had that cold from the inside out feeling. Also my nose gets cold and when that happens...I am COLD for a long time. I also use those little hotties hand warmer things when I will be outside for a long time like at a sporting event. I will hold them against my nose , drop them in my bra and keep them in my pockets! They are wonderful!!! I just attribute it to the fact that I have lost my polar layer....I would rather be cold! Living the dream!! Laura

Ever since the format of this forum changed, I cannot update my ticker. I used to just click on it in my profile and it took me right to the tickerfactory.com and I signed in and changed it. Now I just get the page where I can choose a new ticker. Tickerfactory has a graph of my weight loss journey and I would like to keep that. I don't want to have to start anew with a new ticker...can anyone help me out here. I am not the most computer savvy person on the planet....but I am down 83 pounds in 1 year!!!! Thanks, Laura

I think I figured it out.....

I am 6 months out and my scale hasn't moved significantly for about 3 weeks+. However, when I went to Zumba class yesterday, one of my classmates said that I looked smaller every time she saw me! Yesterday I tried on a pair of size 8 pants that were too tight a month ago and they fit just nicely. So I guess there is something to be said about losing inches when the scale is stuck. I have gained alot of muscle from working out and I keep telling myself that the # on the scale is not what I should be focusing on. How I feel and how my clothes fit and how I look when I see myself in the mirror...those are the real indicators of my weight loss/health improving journey. Although...that elusive 130 on the scale is still so important to me....Wish I could break that habit! Living the dream, Laura

Al I can say is ....AWESOME!!! So happy for you and your new life! Living the dream, Laura

So I am 6 months out and down 64 lbs. I have been sitting her for over three weeks... Am I done? I would like to lose 15-20 more but the scale is stuck. I admit I had a bad two weeks with not much exercise and eating lots of sweets but I have reigned in that monster and am back on track. Over those weeks I actually GAINED 2 pounds! I am mortified. Even though I have lost 64 lbs in 6 months, I feel fat and defeated. Even though I went from a tight size 20 to a loose 10 , I feel fat and defeated. I hate that my emotional well being is so tied up in that darn scale but it is what it is. Can anyone please give me some words of encouragement or advice. I have lost about 1/2 my hair. I don't want it to be in vain.... Living the dream but a bit down just now.... Laura

I am with you...I stay away from all dairy. Switched to soy milk and don't eat cheese anymore. The gas is not worth it. Living the dream, Laura

I had my surgery on May 2 and was back in the hospital on May 11 to have the gallbladder out.... My pre op ultrasound showed nothing but right after surgery, I had sludge in there. I had turned yellow and had pain and nausea.... Every one is different. That is just how it happened with me. Living the dream, Laura

When I was newly sleeved and eating solids, I often gave my self terrible chest pain from eating too fast. I went to a game store and bought a two minute egg timer. Hourglass type thing. I think it was$2.50. Then, I would take a bite and turn the timer over. When the sand had all gone to the bottom...time for another bite. This was a huge help and relief to me. Sometimes I took a bite, went and did something else and then came back to see if the sand was down yet! No more worries that I was eating too fast. Living the dream! Laura

Went into my Zumba class this morning. I had been gone for a week due to minor toe surgery. One gal who is always there told me I looked fantastic and how did my stomach get so flat! I was thrilled!!! Now granted, my stomach is not flat. After 11 babies, it will never be flat without surgery. But when I started Zumba earlier this year, I looked like I was 6 months pregnant. I was so flattered that this woman would comment to me about my tummy!! I told her it was Zumba. That is pretty much the only exercise I do. 3-5 times a week. I love it! Living the dream!!!, Laura

I LOVE ME SOME ZUMBA!!!! It is fast paced, fun and the time goes by so fast. I take classes at my local YMCA 3-5 times a week. I love to dance and once I got the routines down...it was the most enjoyable exercise class I ever took! Different teachers lead different "flavored" classes but they have all been fun. Variety keeps me interested. Zumba has been a major part of my weight loss and I plan to continue as long as I am able!! Living the dream, Laura

I am 5+ months out from surgery and am VERY happy with my sleeve. I feel great . look great and am almost at my goal weight. I had a little surgery recently on my toe and have been unable to exercise much for the past two weeks. Yet I am still losing weight. It's very slow but it's still coming off. I have been very naughty with my eating recently. I still get my protein in and my water but I have been eating sweet things waaaay too often. I am a little concerned about what will happen when I reach my goal. How do I maintain? Will I still see the weight slowly coming off? I mean , I have been REALLY BAD with my sugar and carb intake and I am still losing. No exercise to speak of in the last two weeks. I know this sounds like a wonderful problem to have but I am getting a little nervous..... Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Living the dream, Laura

AWESOME!!!!! SO happy for you. Ain't life with the sleeve grand??!! Living the dream, Laura

I was beginning to wonder if I was going to end up being one of those amazingly lucky people who can eat what ever and not gain weight. What a thrilling added bonus to my wonderful sleeve!! I guess time will tell. I was married to a man like that for 25 years and boy was I ever jealous!

GOOD FOR YOU!!! Thanks for posting the pics. As everyone else said...you look great and from the smile on your face, I can tell that you feel great too! Congratulations! Living the dream, Laura

If you are not eating enough calories, your body does go into a starvation mode and hangs onto everything. I found that upping my calories to around 700-800 helped to break the stall. Also, when I lose 10 pounds quickly, it usually takes my body a week to adjust and I don't lose anything. Then it starts to come off again. Don't worry, the weight will come off. It has no choice. Better to not lose it too fast because when you do, then you have hair loss to "enjoy"! I had a nasty 8 day stall 3 weeks after surgery. I learned on this forum that a stall at that time was very common. Just keep on with your program....you will beat it this time!! Living the dream, Laura

I would call the doc. Doesn't sound normal to me. I have had 3 miscarriages and also a bout with cervical bleeding after surgery and I bled like that. Not fun... Laura

I am not 1 year out yet but I also stopped drinking with my meals due to major discomfort. I make sure I wait at least 20-30 minutes after eating before I drink. At 4 months out, I can drink from a straw and guzzle 3 or 4 swallows at a time. When I am working out, I drink like that all the time and usually get in 20+oz. in an hour. After I eat, if I am dying of thirst, I will take just a small sip to tide me over but not much. It feels awful!! Living the dream!, Laura

Menopause maybe??? I am cold most of the time now but I think it's just because I have lost most of my "polar layer". Laura

You may not be eating too much but just too fast. I found that I had a really hard time eating slowly enough. Then I got a 2 minute hourglass egg timer and when I take a bite, I turn it over. Then I just enjoy my bite and when it's gone...I wait until the sand empties out before I take another bite. This has worked WONDERS for me in not eating too fast. I found mine at a game store but you can get them on the internet. Most egg timers are 3 minute ones. I didn't think I needed to wait that long between bites. Living the dream!, Laura

So I was sleeved on May 2 and am down a solid 50 lbs. I feel so much better and have more energy but...I have not lost an ounce for almost 2 weeks. I have 30 more I want to drop and the scale is just not moving. I have tried upping my carbs and calories and lowering my carbs and calories but nothing seems to work. I do Zumba 3-5 times a week and swim a mile once or twice a week as well. I am fitting into my old size 12 pants, which is great but I want to be a loose 8. I was hoping to be able to wear my cheerleading outfit from high school for Halloween but at this rate...that's not happening. I am just feeling discouraged. I have tried to keep up a good attitude for the last few weeks but being stuck here at 170 is driving me nuts. Any one else have a nasty stall at 4 months out?? I will be 4 months tomorrow. Last month I did lose 10 pounds during the whole month...but still. Any advice,encouragement and "this is what happened to me" stories are very welcome. Thanks, Laura

Thank you my sleevie friends. It helps knowing I am not alone in this journey. Isn't the internet wonderful!! I will keep on keeping on and hopefully the scale will give me some results! I shouldn't compalin...I have lost 50# in less than 4 months! Living the dream, Laura

Just got back from taking 9...count 'em 9 black trash bags of clothes that will never fit me again to the Salvation Army!!! It felt SOOOOOOOO good!! I am sitting in a bit of a stall so this NSV really made me happy! Living the dream!, Laura

Good question Pasquini...why ARE you holding on to it? This is not like before when you lost weight and then needed those bigger sizes because you gained it back again. Our sleeves are like FAT insurance. They won't let us eat like we used to and all that weight you have lost is truly lost this time. Lost ...as in...not going to EVER find it again! Getting rid of all those too big clothes made room in my closet for the skinny clothes I had been saving! I did save 1 pair of size 20 pants...just as a reminder of how far I have come. But being a seasoned thrift shopper, I know it can be hard to find those bigger sizes in decent shape. All the best to whomever gives my too big clothes a new home. Moving on and not looking back! Living the dream, Laura

I am in school and we have to wear a uniform. When I started, I needed a size xl shirt. Since being sleeved and losing 67 lbs, it was hanging on me like a dress. I felt really good...and thin...then my new size medium shirt came in. It fits but is tight around my abdomen and hips, just like the xl was . So now I see myself and feel like I am fat all over again. My face is thinner and I do see that but the fact that the shirt is tight on regular places really bugs me, Go figure... Living the dream, Laura